Lawsuit towards former Wisconsin Supreme Court docket justice dismissed after she turns over data

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — An open data lawsuit towards former Wisconsin Supreme Court docket Chief Justice Persistence Roggensack was dismissed Tuesday after Roggensack turned over all data she had associated to her work investigating doable impeachment of a sitting justice.

Not one of the data Roggensack produced earlier this month shed any gentle on the impeachment recommendation she really gave to Republican Meeting Speaker Robin Vos. Vos has mentioned he spoke with Roggensack on the cellphone about impeachment of Justice Janet Protasiewicz and he has refused to say what her recommendation was. Roggensack has additionally not mentioned what she informed Vos.

Two different former justices Vos tapped for suggestions, David Prosser and Jon Wilcox, each advised against impeachment.

The liberal watchdog group American Oversight sued Vos, Prosser, Wilcox and Roggensack to get the entire data associated to the doable impeachment. The group additionally alleged that the three former justices had damaged the state’s open conferences regulation.

Dane County Circuit Choose Frank Remington in November dismissed the open meetings allegation, saying American Oversight filed its declare prematurely and will have given the district legal professional time to determine whether or not to launch his personal lawsuit. Dane County District Lawyer Ismael Ozanne determined towards bringing costs.

Remington had beforehand dismissed the open data allegations towards Prosser and Wilcox after they produced data. In November, he gave Roggensack 30 days to show over no matter data she had. In a submitting with the court docket on Dec. 8, Roggensack mentioned she had no responsive data past what had already been made public.

Her legal professional, Bob Shumaker, confirmed that once more in court docket on Tuesday.

American Oversight’s legal professional Ben Sparks agreed to drop the case towards her and the choose dismissed it.

The open data declare towards Vos stays. His legal professional, Matthew Fernholz, mentioned Tuesday that Vos has already produced the entire data he has. Vos in November launched about 20,000 pages of paperwork. The choose set a standing listening to for Jan. 25.

Vos initially mentioned he was contemplating impeachment if Protasiewicz didn’t recuse herself from the redistricting case. She didn’t recuse. Vos didn’t transfer to question her, following the recommendation towards impeachment from the previous justices. However now he’s suggesting he could try and impeach her if she doesn’t rule in favor of upholding the present Republican-drawn maps.

The Wisconsin Structure reserves impeachment for “corrupt conduct in workplace, or for crimes and misdemeanors.”

Republicans have argued Protasiewicz has pre-judged the case based mostly on feedback she made in the course of the marketing campaign calling the present maps “unfair” and “rigged.”

Protasiewicz, in her resolution to not recuse from the case, mentioned that whereas stating her opinion in regards to the maps, she by no means made a promise or pledge about how she would rule on the case.

The court docket heard the redistricting case in November that would lead to new maps being in place earlier than the 2024 election. The court docket is predicted to concern a ruling quickly.